President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on Saturday in France, received a Nigeria Football token.

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, made this known in a statement on Saturday.

Ngelale said the president received the token ahead of the Super Eagles’ Round of 16 clash against Cameroon at the African Cup of Nations (AF CON)  today.

The presidential spokesman added that President Tinubu looks forward to a quality showing from the Super Eagles.

The statement reads: “H.E. President Bola Tinubu today receives a Nigeria Football token ahead of the Super Eagles’ Round of 16 clash against Cameroon at the African Cup of Nations.

“The President looks forward to a quality showing from our men!”

Nigeria Vs Cameroon 2023 AFCON Clash Will Be Tougher – Ahmed Musa

The Captain of the Super Eagles, Ahmed Musa, has noted that Nigeria‘s clash with Cameroon later tonight (9 p.m.), January 27, will be tougher than the last time the two countries met.

Ahmed Musa played a prominent role when Nigeria faced Cameroon in the 2019 AFCON round of 16 in Egypt. The Super Eagles knocked out the five-time AFCON winners 3-2 to book a place in the quarter-finals stage.

The Super Eagles went on to finish third in the edition of the tournament and they will have to attempt beating the Indomitable Lions once again in the 2023 AFCON round of 16.

But Ahmed Musa who is the most capped player in the Super Eagles believes that this next meeting might not be as easy as their last meeting.

According to the Eagles’ captain, the Cameroonian who managed to finish third in Group C wouldn’t want to be knocked out of the 2023 AFCON by Nigeria just like in their 2019 meeting.

[NaijaNews]

The implementation of Primary Health Care Under One Roof (PHCUOR) has begun in Ogun State.

This was disclosed by the Executive Secretary of the state Primary Health Care Development Board, (OGPHECADEB) Dr. Elijah Ogunsola, during a sensitisation meeting with all cadres of health workers across the 20 Local Government Areas and the Primary Health Care (PHC) staffers.

Dr. Ogunsola, according to the Board's Press Officer, Mrs. Fatimah Alatishe, explained that PHCUOR was a policy document, introduced by the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) and approved by the National Council on Health in 2011, to reduce fragmentation of all services under one authority, revealing that the reform was promoted by the Federal Goverment to integrate PHC structures and programmes at sub-national levels under one state-level body, which is the Primary Health Care Development Agency or Board.

He added that the policy would bring together health workers in all the 20 Local Government Areas of the state and the Primary Health workers, assuring a seamless communication and good working relationship between the workers in the headquarters and the local governments.

The Executive Secretary, who regarded PHC workers as service providers closer to the grassroots, underscored the need for them to be abreast of any reform in PHC service delivery system, promising that the Board would continue to ensure improved health care services across board.

Contributing, the Director, Health Care System in the Board, Dr. Esther Ogunsilu, while highlighting the pillars of the initiative, said the conceptual framework for implementing the PHCUOR include, Governance and Ownership, Legislation, Minimum Service Package, Repositioning, Systems Development, Operational Guidelines, Human Resources, Office Set-up, Funding Sources and Structure, among others.

Also speaking, his counterpart in the Disease Control and Immunisation, Dr. Thomas Solarin, urged the workers to always make themselves available to patients as and when due and be diligent, in order to achieve a better healthcare delivery to the people.

In his remarks, Chairman Ijebu-Ode Local Government, Mr. Babatunde Emilola-Gazal, who doubled as the Chairman, Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, Ogun State Chapter, described the PHCUOR policy as a welcome development which would give more encompassing health care delivery in all PHCs across the council areas, promising that all Local Government Chairmen would give their support to achieve success.

The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.), has urged men and officers of the agency to shun any enticement that conflicts with the ethos of their profession as anti-narcotic operatives.

Marwa gave the charge on Saturday in Jos, Plateau State, during the graduation of members of the Strike Force elite corps in the agency.

In his remarks, the agency boss appealed to the officers to embrace the discipline that had been instilled in them during their training and ensure they were incorruptible in the discharge of their duties as anti-narcotics officers.

“Here is my appeal to each of you: shun any enticement that conflicts with the ethos of your profession as an anti-narcotic operative. Anything that would compromise your discipline and dedication to duty should be avoided.

“As an anti-narcotic officer, you bear a huge obligation to remain incorruptible in the face of any temptation that might be sprung on you by drug traffickers and barons”, the NDLEA boss who was represented by the Director, Special Duties/Commander, Strike Force, Deputy Commander General of Narcotics, DCGN Ahmed Ningi told the officers.

While addressing the graduating members of the Strike Force Elite Corps, he added, “To the Strike Force operatives, I want you to be mindful that today is a milestone in your professional career in the Agency. This specialized training and the skills acquired therefrom will undoubtedly enhance your competence in the special role you will be playing for the Agency in the war against illicit drugs.

“It is important that I remind you that as the Agency scales its operation against illicit drug trafficking, your service will become increasingly essential to the successful attainment of our organisational goals. The special nature of your training requires that you serve as a force multiplier for the conventional NDLEA staff in the field.

“Moreover, the progress report I received, including the on-the-spot assessment, confirmed that the objective of the course has been achieved. Therefore, as you graduate today, I urge you not to rest on your oars, as your competence will be tested from time to time by challenges that will recur in your career as an anti-narcotic operative.

“It is gratifying to note that you have been exposed to classroom and outdoor exercises in line with the current challenges. You are, therefore, urged to consolidate the knowledge gained and apply it judiciously in your various commands. Generally, I am hopeful that the benefits of the course will reflect positively on your performance in the field.”

Explaining the significance of the elite force within the agency, Marwa said, “We have great expectations of the Strike Force, one of NDLEA’s tactical creations in 2021. The Strike Force adds strength and purpose to our drug supply reduction effort by reinforcing officers and men of NDLEA who have to work in dangerous terrain while carrying out their duties.

“The merit of having the Strike Force was evident in February 2023 when, on two occasions, the Agency was able to successfully carry out raids, seizures, and destruction of a significant amount of psychotropic substances in territories that in the past were hostile and almost out of bounds for anti-narcotic officers.

“In Ondo and Ekiti States, for instance, 255 hectares of cannabis farms were destroyed across five local government areas in a seven-day operation. Similarly, in Lagos State, a notorious drug den in Patey, Lagos Island, was successfully raided in broad daylight, with over 5,000kg of cannabis and other assorted drugs seized, along with the arrest of the drug kingpin and six other suspects. Both operations were dangerous, but the Strike Force provided the needed cover, repelled mob attacks, and ensured our officers and men performed their duties safely.”

He noted that the success of the course could not have been possible without the commitment of the training facilitators and the NDLEA team of instructors.

In his welcome remarks, the Commandant of the NDLEA Academy, Jos, Hamza Umar, commended the leadership of the agency for exposing officers and men of the agency to continuous training at home and abroad.

He added, “With this new graduation, what we are saying and we have sent the signal and it is very clear that the drug barons, the drug traffickers, their days are numbered. Wherever they are, whatever it is, we’ll subdue that threat and make Nigeria suitable”

He asked the graduands not to take the privilege for granted.

A total of 391 personnel of the strike force passed out from the training which lasted for about three weeks.

Aloy Ejimakor, the Special Counsel to Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, on Saturday said the Supreme Court has settled the controversy that the agitator never jumped bail.

Ejimakor said the Supreme Court also clarified that Kanu’s bail should not have been revoked.

Recall that in 2017, Justice Binta Nyako of a Federal High Court in Abuja had granted Kanu bail.

Upon his release, a military invasion of his ancestral home in Umuahia, Abia State, in September 2017, forced into exile, hence he did not attend his trial on the next scheduled date and thereafter.

From then till June 2021 when he was transferred from Kenya to Nigeria, there has been a robust public debate as to whether he jumped bail or not.

But, the Appeal Court had discharged and acquitted Kanu of all terrorism charges.

This judgment was later overturned by the Supreme Court which transferred the case back to the Federal High Court.

In the Certified True Copy of the judgment delivered in December 2023, the apex court declared that Kanu did not jump bail.

Commenting on this, Ejimakor, said: “As Of Counsel, I had joined in this debate and always made it clear that Nnamdi Kanu, in the unique circumstance of the military invasion, did not jump bail. I had also written well-publicized legal treatises, maintaining that this self-evident truth will be proved and confirmed in Court in due course of time.”

He said the first judicial confirmation came in January 2022 when, in a landmark judgment, the High Court of Abia State declared that the said military invasion was a flagrant violation of Kanu’s constitutional rights, consequent upon the Court awarded him N1 billion in damages and public apology.

He said: “Following this judgment, I had issued a public Legal Notice warning all and sundry to thenceforth cease and desist from peddling the falsehood that Nnamdi Kanu had jumped bail. Whereas, vast majorities of the mainstream and social media had complied, some malicious traducers and elements from the federal government persisted with the defamatory bail-jumping narrative.

“In summation, in addition to ruling that Nnamdi Kanu never jumped bail, the Supreme Court also held that the Federal High Court should never have revoked his bail; that the prosecution wrought grand deception on the Court on the bail-jumping issue and that the bench warrant that triggered Nnamdi Kanu’s infamous extraordinary rendition was obtained by deception and should never have been issued.

“For the foregoing reasons, I implore the media, members of the public and pertinent public officials to abide by the judgment of the Supreme Court and henceforth cease and desist from peddling or publishing the false and defamatory narrative that Nnamdi Kanu had jumped bail.”

The winner of the 2023 gubernatorial election in Kogi State, Usman Ododo, has been sworn in as the governor of the state.

This comes barely three months after he was elected to take over from Yahaya Bello, who has completed his second term in office.

Naija News learned that Ododo took the oath of office at around 2:24 pm in Lokoja, the state capital, on Saturday.

His inauguration came just minutes after Salifu Joel Oyibot took his oath of office as the deputy governor of Kogi State.

With his swearing-in, Ododo has become the 5th executive governor of Kogi state.

The event had in attendance the Vice President, Kashim Shettima, Ododo’s predecessor, Yahaya Bello, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje and other top members of the party.

Meanwhile, Yahaya Bello has rated his administration with good marks, stating that he would be departing office and leaving the state in better shape than when he arrived.

Recall that Governor Bello, whose second term in office will elapse in a few weeks, gave this remark while accepting the Fellowships Award at the 4th Combined Convocation of Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja, during the weekend.

At the State Polytechnic of Lokoja’s joint convocation for 2013/2014–2022–2023, the governor, who was a distinguished guest, remarked that one of his accomplishments is the State Polytechnic’s repositioning to meet the challenges of the twenty-first century.

The Federal Government has vowed to probe allegations of coordinated oil bunkering scheme and multibillion-naira contract-splitting fraud levelled against the Chief of Naval Staff, Emmanuel Ogalla.

The Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, made this known in a press statement released Friday by his spokesman, Henshaw Ogubike.

Naija News understands that Ogalla is facing allegations of impropriety on many fronts since his clandestine dealings came to light, details of which had reached top levels of the chain of command and on the verge of being brought to the notice of President Bola Tinubu.

According to Peoples Gazette, Ogalla was accused to have repeatedly offered the protection of the Nigerian Navy to oil thieves since he took office.

Additionally, the news platform reveal a concerted effort to stifle inquiries into vessels suspected of trafficking stolen crude oil, further tarnishing the integrity of his nascent leadership as well as a violation of the Procurement Act 2007 by splitting navy arms procurement into 30 contracts awarded to a single firm in November 2023.

Ogalla was also said to have refused to approve transfer of naval officers found culpable of several unprofessional conducts to the dismay of other members of the navy brass and disciplinary unit.

But according to Matawalle, the allegations levelled against Ogalla are serious, adding that the government is committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity and accountability within the Nigerian Armed Forces.

The statement added: “In the light of the allegations, we assure the public that the ministry of defence will collaborate fully with relevant authorities to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the matter.

“It is our collective responsibility to maintain the trust and confidence of the Nigerian people in the institutions that safeguard our nation’s security. We call for patience as the investigative process unfolds and trusts that justice will be served in accordance with the rule of law.’’

The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, has said President Bola Tinubu should be recognised by the Guinness World Records for “causing Nigerians the most hardship.”

Recall that Tinubu had recently bragged that he deserved to be included in the Guinness World Records over his performances in the country since he assumed office.

Speaking in a recent interview with Vanguard, the former Governor of Anambra State said Nigerians are really suffering because the reforms implemented by the Tinubu administration are not achieving what they are meant to achieve.

He said, “He (Tinubu) may actually be correct when he claims that his name deserves to be in the Guinness World Records. Don’t forget that people’s names don’t always make it into the Guinness World Records for only altruistic reasons.

“So, it depends on which angle he is coming from. If the idea is to put his name in the Guinness Book of Records for causing Nigerians the most hardship – untold hardship, of course he is spot on and I will totally agree with him because his reforms are not achieving what they are meant to achieve.”

Obi added that he had put the 2023 general elections behind him already and he was now focusing on governance and real issues.

He stated that the biggest lesson from the 2023 general elections is the fact that Nigerians are actually committed to good governance and not as complacent as people thought they were.

The former governor noted that Nigerians on the streets could judge the performance of Tinubu so far since he assumed office on May 29, 2023.

He added: “Well, for me, the biggest lesson (from the 2023 general elections) is the fact that Nigerians are actually committed to good governance. They are not as complacent as people thought they were because they, especially the youths, were actually committed to doing the right thing. That is why they came out in their numbers to participate in the elections.

“The second lesson is the realisation that the leaders, most people in the elite class are not actually interested in good governance because you can classify the electoral umpire as part of the elite class, the government, all of us are not prepared to do the right thing because if the elites are prepared to do the right thing, the result or the outcome of the election would have been different.

“But for me the elections have come and gone and I don’t want to talk about the issue of the 2023 elections again. It has come and gone and I am done with it. What I am talking about now are issues of governance because the average Nigerian today is talking about the Nigeria of today, and the Nigeria of tomorrow. That is what is important.”

Speaking on how he rates the government so far, he said, “That is really a question for the generality of Nigerians to answer. Ask the average Nigerian how he is faring today. The truth is that we have many more Nigerians thrown into poverty, millions of Nigerians don’t know where the next meal will come from. Nobody is sure what the price of a cup of rice, garri or a loaf of bread will be tomorrow. So, it is Nigerians that you should ask the question.

“It is not a question for me to answer. It is not something I alone will tell you. Ask Nigerians, the masses out there on the streets of Nigeria and you will get a feel of what they are going through. But I know that the situation is critical.”

City FM is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Programme: CITY TALKS WITH REUBEN ABATI

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Topic: "Proposed Construction of 4th Mainland Bridge in Lagos"

Date: 27th January, 2024                    

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A man, Aminu Ibrahim, who is alleged to be the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ward chairman for Birnin Yero Ward in the Shinkafi local government area of Zamfara State, has been arrested by the Nigerian Military for alleged weapons smuggling.

Naija News understands Ibrahim was arrested alongside two other men by Troops of the Joint Task Force, Operation Hadarin.

Information gathered from PRNigeria has it that the suspected chairman and his accomplices, namely Musa Usman Seun and Isah Mohammed, were arrested on Monday., 22nd January at Shinkafi.

The source quoted by the platform stated that the sum of two million, five hundred and eighty thousand naira, 1 Volkswagen Wagon, 3 mobile phones and other items were recovered from the suspects after their arrest.

The money recovered from the suspects was said to be part of the planned fund for the purchase of weapons at Ilela border in Sokoto State.

The matter is currently under investigation.

According to the source, “The troops of the Joint Task Force North West Operation HADARIN acting on a credible intelligence on activities of a notorious gunrunner with intentions to smuggle arms into Zamfara state, troops immediately set up a roadblock and apprehended 3 suspected persons.

“The 3 suspects namely Musa Usman Seun, Aminu Ibrahim, and Isah Mohammed were arrested recently at Shinkafi on 22 January 2024 and the sum of Two Million Five Hundred and Eighty Thousand Naira, 1 Volkswagen Wagon, 3 mobile phones and other items were recovered from the suspects.

“A preliminary investigation revealed that the huge sum of money recovered from the suspects was for exchange of Assorted weapons at the Illela border in Sokoto state. The suspects are undergoing further interrogation”.